VISION-impaired social worker Sharyl Brockett can’t understand why people are allowed in public places with dangerous dogs after a bullmastiff attacked and nearly killed her guide dog, Daisy.
“The bullmastiff lunged at Daisy as we approached Woolworths supermarket in Wonthaggi last weekend,“ said Sharyl.
The bullmastiff was on a long lead and latched onto Daisy’s neck millimetres from a vital artery leaving two bleeding puncture wounds.
“A smaller dog wouldn’t have survived,” said Sharyl still in shock days after the attack.
A pharmacist friend of Sharyl managed to pull the dogs apart.
Sharyl remembers a middle-aged woman holding a long lead attached to the bullmastiff.
“She yelled out is your dog OK,” before disappearing with a male according to Sharyl.
“Daisy stayed by my side as she is trained to do.”
The incident was caught on CCTV, but Council rangers have not been able to locate the bullmastiff or its owners.
“That dog should not be in public,“ said Sharyl.
“We both stayed home the next day so I could take Daisy to the vet. The vet had to shave Daisy’s neck to clean away the blood and give her antibiotics.”
Sharyl’s constant companion for the past six years Daisy came to her as a fully trained guide dog at 18 months of age and now accompanies her daily to Wonthaggi Hospital.
“Daisy’s really important to me,” said Sharyl.
According to Sharyl, Daisy helps support many patients who are feeling down because they are ill in hospital and without their own dogs or pets.
“Guide dogs have a really important job to do,” Sharyl said.
“She has to make sure I’m safe in the community.”
With her specialised training costing upwards of $100,000, Daisy is not considered a regular pet, and was doing her job, as normal.
According to Sharyl as they approached the entrance to Woolworths a dog jumped out of nowhere and latched onto Daisy’s throat.
“It was not under any control whatsoever,” said Sharyl.
One of Sharyl’s good friends saw the attack and ran straight towards them.
“My friend helped get the dogs separated and checked Daisy for injuries.”
A nurse friend at the scene applied pressure to Daisy’s neck to stem the bleeding while another friend called the Council Ranger.
Daisy was wearing a guide dog harness at the time, and according to Sharyl, the woman with the bullmastiff didn’t seem to care.
“We asked her to move away with the dog, but she refused forcing us to walk onto the road and around the trolley bay to get to the safety of the supermarket.”
“We need to find the people responsible for this.”
Sharyl is hopeful Daisy will fully recover.
“We’ve been back to the scene to provide encouragement, but Daisy still hesitates,” said Sharyl. “It will take time.”
Guide Dogs Victoria have offered assistance including re-training in Wonthaggi.
